Solderless electrical conductor clamp



June 1952 H. w. BATCHELLER 2,600,189

SOLDERLESS ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR CLAMP Filed Dec 15, 1949 INVENTOR HUGHW. BATCHELLER ATT'YS Patented June 10, 1952 soLnnaLnss ELECTRICALCONDUCTOR CLAMP Hugh W. Batcheller, Newton Highlands, Mass.

Application December 15, 1949, Serial No. 133,081

Claims. Cl. 173-269) This invention relates to an electrical connectorfor connecting the end of a wire to a conductor or terminal onelectrical apparatus such as switches. It is an object of the inventionto provide a connector which is compact in structure so that it occupiesbut little space, is efiicient in providing a good electricalconnection, and is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Controlswitches for electric ranges, for example, require a considerable numberof terminals to which wires must be connected so that several stages ofheating can be had as desired. In the limited space within a range whichmust contain such switches and their connections, it is important thatthe connections be compact as Well as reliable.

According to the present invention, a connector is provided whichconsists essentially of a single piece of spring metal which is bent inthe form of a U-shaped loop to project through a hole in the terminal towhich the connection is to be made, the end of the wire to be connectedbeing passed through the loop which projects through the hole, ashereinafter described. Only enough wire need be stripped of itsinsulation to project through the loop and be gripped thereby. This ismuch less than the length of wire required to bend around a screw as inthe ordinary connector.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be hadto the followin description thereof and to the drawing, of which- Figure1 is a perspective view of a connector embodying the invention, theconnector being shown as it appears in use;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the spring member of the connector;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the spring member;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same, a portion being broken away toshow in section; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the connector with a wire being insertedtherein and portions of a tool which may be employed to spring theconnector to receive a wire.

For convenience of description in the following specification and in theclaims, the connector will be described as being in the positionoccupied as shown in Figure 5, that is, with the loop of the springmember projecting up through the hole in the conductor or terminal whichis shown in a horizontal plane, but it is to be understood that in usethe connector may occupy any desired position. The size of the connectoris 2 considerably exaggerated in the drawing for clearness of detail;the actual size of the connector being scaled to the diameter of thewire which is to be connected.

Figures 1 and 5 show a plate In which is of conducting material such asmetal sheet or strip stock and which may be a switch terminal or anyotherconductor. This plate or strip is provided with a rectangular holeI2 through which is is thrust the loop portion I4 of a strip of sprinmetal such as spring steel, bronze, beryllium copper or an equivalent,this strip being bent into an inverted U-shape the end portions or wingsI 8 and 20 being bent outward and upward as indicated in Figure 3. Thespring member I6 is assembled with the plate It by pushing the loopportion l4 up through the hole l2 until the extremities 2'2 and 24 ofthe spring I6 engage the under face of the plate Ill, the hole I2 beingjust large enough to accommodate the loop I4. The loop I4 is soproportioned that when the spring member 16 is thus assembled with theplate II], the width of the opening 26 of the loop which is above theplate II! is substantially equal to the diameter of the wire 30 which isto be connected.

The height of this opening 26 above the plate I0 is a little less thanthe diameter of a wire when the spring member I6 is unstressed.

In order to insert the end of the wire 30 through the openinglfi, thespring member must be sprung to a shape such as is illustrated in Figure5. This can be done by pressing down on the plate I0 at points adjacentto the hole [2 when the connector is resting on a fixed surface. When nofixed surface is convenient to support the connector, a tool may beemployed such as a pair of pliers having jaws shaped as indicated inFigure 5, the jaw 32 being adapted to bear against the wings I8 and 20of the spring member I6 so as to support the spring member from below,the other jaw 34 having two projections 36 and 38 adapted to straddlethe loop I 4 and to bear down on the plate It at points above the wingsI8 and 29. Distortion of the spring member I6 to the shape shown inFigure 5 results in a sufiicient increase in the height of the opening26 through the loop to admit the wire 30. When the connector is thenreleased, the wings I8 and 20 spring back as far as they can towardtheir unstressed position and thus draw the top of the loop portion I4down into firm pressing engagement on the wire 30, the adjacent portionsof the wire being thereby firmly pressed against the upper face of theplate II] to make a good electrical connection. The connection may bewhen there is 'no'wire-projecting through the-lodp to keep it in place,downwardly facing shoulders 40 are provided on one or both edges of theloop portion of the spring member, these shoulders" being located abovethe level "of the xtremi'tie's 22 and 24 in such position as to rest onthe upperface of the plate It] when the springmember 16 is unstressed.In order to permifithe" assmbung and disassembling of the spring memberarid plate when the former is provided with shoulders 40, the springmember is preferably provided with a central longitudinal slot 42 whichextends throughout the 'entire loop portion and termi= ates near-theends of the wing portion l8 and 20. This slot enables the portionsof-thestrip on opposite sides thereof to besprung toward each other suffciently to permit the loop to beinserted through the "hole 12, the widthof the hole being substantially equalto the width of the strip [6' atpoints below the shoulders 40. r The spring member; 1 'is'thns retainedby the shoulders at in assembled relation with the plate I0. jf'inorde'r to grip the wire-30 positively so as to prevent accidentaldisconnection; a sharp arcuate 11117544 ispreierably provided along eachlower cidge'of thejcurved portion of the 10mm. I'f-th'e strip ltisstamped iromasheetof spring steel or" the like; the shearing cut whichseparates the sjtripiiromlthe'sheet'results'in a shar'p' fin or burr alo 'ng the edgesof one face of thestripf In shaping'thefspring-member"l;-this or burr is at: centuated along; the central portion of' the stripby urling theedgescf the 'strip slightly down qto formthe finor fins 44,-as shown in Figure I When the; connector is released from the stressedppsition shown in Figure 5, the downward-pull 'on'the loop l4 causes-thesharp fins 54 td digfinm the wire 30 and thus to anchor itagainstaccidental removal from the connector.

I claim:

1. An electric connector comprising a plate having a hole therethrough,a strip of spring metal bent to an inverted U shape with the endportions curved outward and upward, the loop of said U projecting upthrough said hole, the extremities of said strip bearing against theunder face of said plate, the opening definedby the loopaiidplatehaving'a height fslightlyless than its width when the strip isunstressed.

2. A connector as described in claim 1, the side edges of said strip atthe top of said loop being slightly cur-led'downproviding sharp arcuatefins.

3. A connector as described in claim 1, the side edges ofitheloop-portion of said strip having shouldersbearing on the upper face ofsaid plate to ni'aintain the strip and plate in assembled relation,-saidstrip having a longitudinal slot terminating near the ends thereofwhereby the portions of the strip on opposite sides of the slot can bepressed towardeach other tonar'row the loop portion of thestripan'd'permit said shoulders to clear the-edges'of said hole. I r r '4; Aconnectoras described'in claim 3, the side edges of said strip atthet-op' of the loop each having a sharp arcuate fin projecting downtherefrom.

5. A spring member for an electricconnector,

comprising a strip of spring metal bent into'an inve'r'ted U shapewith-theend portions thereof bent outward and-upward; said striphaving-a longitudinal" slot therethrough terminating near the endsthereof and downwardly facing shoulders' on the 'side'edgesthere at ahigher level than the extremities of the slot. j

g ,7 ,HUGI-I W. BATCHELLER.

i. mREFERENCES. was. i H The followingreferences are of record in the mof itates:

UNITED S'I ATES PATENTS Number Name'f' iiii I, :Date Z1 1,005,323Sohade, Jr.. iOcti 10, 1911 1,200,825 F ellety-h; -oct. 10, 19162,065,843 Van- Uum Dec. '29, 1936 2,100,017 Van Uum Nov. 23, 19372,176,405 Lombard Oct. 17, 19 9

